


Downfall

by general_galatea



Series: A Temporary End [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Spoilers, but dream does die like twice, more characters but they play the biggest role, not too graphic, perspective is fun to mess with, ugh i hate smp!dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28924299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/general_galatea/pseuds/general_galatea
Summary: TW: death, manipulation, bloodDream was powerful. He IS powerful. He has the control.Tommy needs to learn.Dream is supposed to have the control.
Series: A Temporary End [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121429
Kudos: 62





	Downfall

**Author's Note:**

> ayeeee more brain rot lol

Everything was going according to plan.

Tommy was defenseless. His armor, his weapons, his potions had been destroyed. He’d fallen for the fake discs. The moment Dream had threatened Tubbo’s life, Tommy had become compliant.

Good. Dream needs Tommy to be compliant, to be obedient, to be  _ weak. _ There can’t be any remnant of the old Tommy, the Tommy that had fought so fiercely for L’manberg. That Tommy’s too strong-willed. Too rebellious. Too stubborn. Too passionate. That simply won’t do. Dream thought he had been getting somewhere with the exile. Sequestered away from anyone else, Tommy had started to bend to Dream’s will. Every time Dream had checked on him, Tommy had been more and more dependant on him. Dream had  _ broken _ Tommy.

When Dream had found Tommy’s secret chests, he’d snapped. He’d destroyed the chests, destroyed Tommy’s meager home, destroyed the Nether portal. Tommy had been screaming, crying, begging him to stop, and Dream had rounded on him. He’d left Tommy there to reflect on what he did. Dream thought that total isolation would finalize Tommy’s dependence on him. 

On reflection, he shouldn’t have done that. He should have expected Tommy to balk against his control and fight back. Tommy had escaped, fleeing to Technoblade’s house and ruining all of the progress he’d made. He’d actually stood up to Dream, directly defying his orders. Tommy had reverted right back to his old self. 

Telling Tommy about the prison was a deliciously satisfying experience. Watching his face cycle through the emotions- confusion, realization, defiance, then hopeless fear- and knowing that he was powerless, that Dream held all the power again…

And yet Tommy still resisted, refusing to come to terms with it. In that moment, Dream decided that he was going to kill Tubbo no matter what. Tommy needed to learn. He needed to learn what happens to those who fight back against Dream. Dream knew he wouldn’t meet any resistance from Tubbo. Tubbo had already resigned himself to death. He’d outlived his usefulness. 

Tommy needed to learn. And Tubbo may be the only thing on the server Tommy truly cares about. 

Tubbo had surrendered to Dream. He walked towards Dream without prompting, accepting his death even as Tommy pleaded. Dream had hid the thrill of excitement under his mask, appearing every inch the cruel, controlled person he projects to the world as he raised his axe over Tubbo’s head.

When Punz had walked through the portal, Dream had been confused. A little wary. Of course he didn’t trust Punz- Dream doesn’t trust anyone- but Punz was on his side. 

“I’m sorry, Dream,” Punz had said. “You should have paid me more.”

And people had flooded out of the portal. Niki. Ranboo. Ponk. Sam. Hbomb. Ponk. Quackity. Puffy. Ant. Bad. Eret. Callahan. Jack. 

Dream stands completely still, staring blankly at the crowd of people standing in front of the portal. Tommy takes advantage of his shock, grabbing Tubbo and yanking him towards the safety of the crowd. Dream blinks out of his daze. “Hey. Hey, hey, hey-”

He lunges after his prey as they’re on the outskirts of the crowd. If Dream can just get his hands on Tubbo, he can use him as a hostage, get himself out of here-

Someone shoves him hard in the chest. Dream stumbles back. No. His leverage disappears behind the wall of armored bodies. A snarl rises from his chest, and Dream looks at the person who’d lost him his target.

Sapnap stands in front of him. Decked out in full netherite. A sword gleams in his hand. “Dream, step away from them.”

_ Sapnap? _

Dream backs up. Tommy and Tubbo are in the center of the crowd now, far from his reach. No. No, no, no, no. He can work around this. He can get them back. He has to.

Quackity takes to the front of the pack now, grinning widely. “You  _ fucked up, _ Dream,” he drawls. The intensity in his voice takes Dream aback. Quackity’s  _ challenging _ him.

He needs an opening. One hole in their defense, and Dream can grab Tubbo, press the axe to his throat, escape through the portal. Take Tommy with him. Take them far away, kill Tubbo- or if need be, use him to keep a hold of Tommy- and regain control of Tommy. Dream slinks towards the side, eyeing Tommy and Tubbo. Quackity matches his movement, still sporting that eerie smile, effectively blocking Dream.

Is he actually protecting  _ Tommyinnit? _

Dream paces around the crowd, searching for a way in. All he needs is a small hole, a small gap that’ll let him slip in and take Tubbo. There. An opening next to Puffy. Dream darts forward, but before he can get in the opening is filled by Eret. The other man’s white eyes glow faintly as he stares directly at Dream.

_ Challenging _ him.

His pacing gets faster. No. He needs to find an opening, something he can use. Dream needs to get Tubbo back. Killing Tommy’s out of the question. But Tubbo…

People care about Tubbo. That’s why they’re here, to defend him. But to Dream, Tubbo expendable. He can, and he  _ will _ kill him. All he needs to escape is Tubbo.

Time and time again, Dream finds an opening. And every single time, someone shifts to fill the gap. Blocking him, challenging him-

With a start, Dream realizes that he’s being pushed back. The wall is far closer to his back than he would have liked. Every time he tries to make a break for Tommy and Tubbo, someone moves forward. A few more steps, and he’ll be pressed against-

Dream’s back hits the wall.

Sapnap shakes his head. “Nowhere to run.”

No. Dream doesn’t have control over the situation, he needs the control, he needs to get out, to get Tommy in the prison-

“Why are you all here?” It takes everything in him to keep his voice from shaking. He has to appear calm. They can’t see his panic.

“We’re tired, man.” Dream’s eyes lock on Ponk as Ponk adjusts his stance. “We’re tired of your shit. What even is this, like, what is this?” He gestures to the side where Dream knows his collection is.

If they take his collection, he loses everything.

Dream stays silent. Ponk leans closer to him. “Cat got your tongue?” he mocks.

Under his mask, Dream’s lip curls. Ponk has nothing over him. Nothing, yet he mocks Dream like Dream’s helpless. None of them have control over him, the only reason he’s in this position is because he’s outnumbered fifteen to one. 

_ Outnumbered… _

Dream’s eyes light up. He reaches towards his pocket, the movement slow and barely perceptible. His fingers close around the rectangular bit of metal, and slowly, slowly, he taps out the message.

**techno get here i need that favor**

Tommy pushes his way past Sam and Dream stills. Tubbo’s trailing behind him, carefully staying behind the crowd. Still guarded. But closer. 

“Dream,” Tommy says sharply. Dreams focuses on Tommy again, keeping Tubbo in the corner of his eye. “I know you’re not gonna kill me. You know what, you son of a bitch, you told me everything, you said I was too important to kill. So you’re not gonna fucking kill me.”

Tommy advances on Dream, snatching a pickaxe from Sapnap’s belt. Dream backs away despite himself, backing into the passageway where his collection is. This is the old Tommy. The Tommy that’s full to the brim with defiance, with passion, with anger. And right now, Tommy’s  _ furious. _

“You don’t have the guts,” Tommy murmurs.

Don’t have the guts-

He wants to kill Tommy. He really does. But Dream  _ can’t, _ not now, Tommy’s still to important to lose now-

Without warning, Tommy swings the borrowed pickaxe into the ground. Again and again and again he does this, carving a hole into the blackstone floor. He looks up, directly at Dream. Challenging him.

When Tommy speaks, his voice is calm. Fraught with menace. “Put your armor in the hole. Everything. Everything on you. There.”

_ “Put your armor in the hole, Tommy.” _

_ “Drop your stuff in the hole.” _

_ “Just drop your stuff in the pit, Tommy.” _

_ “If you don’t drop your armor, I’ll kill you.” _

_ “Drop your stuff in the hole. Tubbo. Drop your stuff in the hole.” _

“Tommy,” Dream says carefully.

“Hey, Dream.” Tommy looks Dream in the eye. “Kill me.”

_ He’s defenseless. All he has is a pickaxe.  _

_ I could kill him now. _

But he  _ can’t. _ Tommy’s too valuable. 

“You said you wouldn’t,” Tommy says quietly. He glances back over his shoulder. “Can someone make sure Tubbo’s okay, because he definitely said he would kill Tubbo-”

Dream hisses softly through his teeth as he watches Tubbo get shunted to the back of the crowd. Sam pulls off his chestplate and hands it to Tubbo, who accepts the armor with a murmured thanks. This is bad. Tubbo had been getting closer, to the point where Dream was sure he could grab the kid before anyone could stop him. 

Tommy sees him looking at Tubbo and raises an eyebrow. “You gonna kill me?” he asked quietly. 

After everything, Tommy’s still challenging him.

Dream grits his teeth, and drops his axe into the hole. 

Everyone goes quiet, listening to the sound of the axe clattering against the blackstone. 

Shaking with barely suppressed rage, Dream undoes the leather straps keeping his armor in place. His gauntlets go in the hole. His greaves go in the hole. His helmet goes in the hole. His chestplate goes in the hole. 

His quiver. His crossbow. His gapples. His god apples. His pearls. His potions. His TNT. His trident. His totem. All of it goes into the pit. 

He keeps the communicator. Any minute now.

“And the mask, please,” Tommy says pleasantly. 

Dream unbuckles the mask- the mask that had protected his identity for so long, the mask that had hidden his emotions for so long- and lets it fall into the hole.

Tommy bends down hastily, gathering up as much of Dream’s belongings as he can. Dream watches through slitted eyes as Tommy pulls on the armor, the armor that had belonged to Dream. They’re just things. Things that Dream doesn’t care about. He doesn’t have any attachments to his things. He can’t be controlled like that.

But right now, Dream is the most vulnerable person in the room. 

_ No. I can get out of this. I still have control. I can still grab Tubbo and get out here. I’ve been in situations like this before, and I’ve survived. _

Tommy lets out a disbelieving chuckle. “You’ve fucked up for the last time, Dream.”

“Tommy.” Dream adopts the scolding, honey-sweet voice he uses most often on Tommy. “You said I’m not going to kill you, and you’re not going to kill me.”

“Why would I not kill you?” Tommy asks quietly.

“Because we have so much  _ fun _ together.” Dream steps closer to Tommy, already seeing the boy falter. “Dream and Tommy… wars and fun times.”

“You have caused me nothing but pain.” Tommy’s voice is quiet and firm. “And now…

“Now it’s your turn.”

In an instant, Dream knows what Tommy’s going to do. He tries to run.

Tommy sinks the Axe of Peace into Dream’s chest.

Dream’s eyes widen in shock and he grasps weakly at the axe in his chest. The blade is entirely embedded in his flesh, all the way to the wood of the handle. Tommy tugs at the handle, but the axe doesn’t budge.

_ Breathe. _

Dream can’t breathe. His lungs won’t expand, cut almost in half. The axe is still sunk deep into his chest, jostled by every weak inhale Dream tries to take. The taste of blood coats his tongue until it’s all he can taste. Blood’s filling his mouth, dripping down his chin.

His legs aren’t holding him up like they’re supposed to. Dream sinks to the floor. Why aren’t his legs working?

It hurts. It hurts so much. It hurts  _ so fucking much please it hurts so fucking much- _

Dream’s eyes fly open and he sits bolt upright with a sharp cry. The bright glare of sunlight blinds him.

Sunlight.

Forcing his vision to focus, Dream takes in his surroundings. He’s sitting in a bed. Back on top of the mountain. To his side, there’s evidence of his battle with Tommy and Tubbo. Dream brings his hands up to his chest, ignoring the way they shake. He has to check. He has to make sure.

A long scar stretches across his chest, thick and gnarled under his fingers. It prickles painfully, and Dream pulls his hands back. 

He had died.

Dream had  _ died. _

Tommy had killed him. With frightening ease. 

Fear spikes through Dream. Tommy did this. Tommy had fought back. Tommy had taken the Axe of Peace and put it through Dream’s chest. Tommy actually killed him. 

That’s Dream’s first death.

_ I’m losing control. _

Dream fumbles for the communicator, still in his pocket.

**TECHNO**

He has to go back down there. There’s still a chance. He still has a chance of regaining control over Tommy. Guilt. Yes. Yes, guilt. He can make Tommy see that it was his fault Dream died, that Dream didn’t do anything. He’ll get Tommy back, he’ll get Tubbo back, and he’ll escape with his prizes and his lives.

He swears he can still feel the axe inside his chest.

Dream steps on to the elevator. He takes a deep, calming breath. They can’t see him shaking. They can’t see him weak. They can’t see him like this.

There’s Tommy. Still wearing Dream’s armor. Still holding the bloodied Axe of Peace.

“Tommy.” Dream fills the word with as much disappoint and disapproval as he can muster.

Tommy’s head snaps around and he looks up at Dream. “This is it now, Dream.”

“Tommy, listen!” This time, Dream’s bravado is entirely false. “Look- you’re not gonna kill me! You’ve killed me-”

“No,” Tommy interrupts sharply. “Dream, stop. This is where it ends.”

“Listen-”

“No! I’ve done all the listening I need to do now.” 

If he can’t convince Tommy, Tubbo’s right there. Dream can grab him and get away. But it won’t come to that. He  _ will _ regain control over Tommy. “Listen to me. Listen.”

Tommy holds up a familiar crossbow, already with a bolt nocked in it. “Your own bow, Dream.”

The elevator has reached the floor now. Dream walks towards Tommy, hiding fear with confidence. “No! Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.”

“With your own bow,” Tommy repeats, raising the crossbow higher. 

_ I’m not going to die again. _ “Listen. Listen-”

Searing pain shoots through his shoulder. Tommy loads another bolt into the crossbow, and Dream backs up. “Stop! Listen, okay-”

“I’m going to kill you until you’re dead,” Tommy growls.

Another bolt sinks into his gut and Dream doubles over, clutching the wound. “Tommy-!”

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU UNTIL YOU’RE GONE!”

“Tommy, stop!” Dream snarls back. “Stop.”

“Or what?” Tommy challenges. “What are you going to do?”

_ I can’t do anything. _

“No, you know what, you have three lives-” Tommy drops the crossbow and unsheathes Dream’s sword.

“This is  _ my server-” _

Dream cuts off with a choked gasp as Tommy plunges the sword into his chest.

The pain is back. He can’t breathe again. This time when Tommy tugs on the sword, it slides easily out of Dream’s chest. Hot, sticky blood gushes out of the wound as Dream falls to his knees.

Everything seems foggy. He can’t breathe, can’t hear Tommy, can’t think-

He’s hurting again. It hurts, and it hurts, and it doesn’t stop hurting-

Dream jolts awake back in the bed and stifles a scream with his fist.

He was killed.  _ Again. _

Tommy killed him again. 

There’s a new scar on his chest, higher than the last one. Directly over his heart. Dream knows there’s a matching one of his back from where the sword had stuck out of his body. 

He only has one life left.

One life. One chance.

**TECHNO GET HERE NOW**

About to step on to the elevator, Dream hesitates. He has one life left. He needs to be more careful. He needs to think.

In all likeliness, Tommy’s waiting for him. Perhaps even aiming the crossbow at the elevator as Dream thinks. If by some miracle Tommy misses, there’s fifteen other people armed to the teeth, ready to kill Dream if Tommy fails. 

Dream needs strategy.

They’ll be expecting him to use the elevator. Which means they’ll be gathered around that end of the chamber. Tommy will be at the front, crossbow primed to shoot. If they’re expecting Dream to come from the elevator, then Tubbo will be as far away from the elevator as possible. He’ll be closest to the opposite wall, likely unguarded from the back.

The portal is on that opposite wall. 

Dream moves quickly towards the side of the cliff. If his plan works, he’ll get Tubbo. Maybe not Tommy. But he’ll get Tubbo. He can take Tubbo with him and flee.

Here. It’s here. Dream tears through the dirt with his hands, feeling pebbles rip into his skin. He grits his teeth and keeps going relentlessly. He hasn’t had to use his hands like this in so long.

It’s Tommy’s fault. Tommy’s the reason why he’s in this condition. Tommy’s the reason why there’s scars crisscrossing over his chest. 

His fingers scrape against the smoothness of obsidian. Dream grins viciously, and slips into the portal he had hidden in the cliffside. There’s the familiar whorl of purple, the familiar twist of space, and Dream’s hit with a blast of heat. The Nether.

He steps out of the portal before it whisks him away again. Dream waits a moment and glances around his surroundings, plotting a route. He’ll have to go far if he’s going to escape. Maybe he’ll head to where he’d exiled Tommy. That would at least throw off Tommy. 

No time to dwell on that now. Dream steps back into the portal, and hopes.

Sure enough, Dream exits the portal right back in the chamber. Sure enough, there’s Tubbo, only a few yards from him. Sure enough, everyone is focused on the elevator. 

Almost everyone.

Quackity’s eyes bore into him. “Tommy. He’s here.”

Dream lets out a soft hiss as Tommy turns to face him. “Tommy.”

Tommy strides past him and starts blocking the portal with obsidian. Panic flares through Dream. “Hey, hey, hey hey, hey, hey!”

Too late. His escape route is blocked. Tommy steps back, his work done. “Dream, there is  _ nothing  _ I need to tell you.”

Again, Dream’s panic levels spike. If Tommy’s done with him, that’s  _ it. _ No more respawns. “You’ve punished me enough!” Dream yells, a ditch-all effort to save himself. “YOU’VE PUNISHED ME ENOUGH, YOU’VE JUST KILLED ME TWICE-”

“Dream.” Tommy’s voice is eerily calm, sending shivers up Dream’s spine. “Any last words?”

“Tommy, you don’t  _ need _ to kill me.” Perhaps manipulation. Yes, Dream still has some control over that, right? “Tommy, we were  _ friends.” _

Tommy raises the crossbow and aims it at Dream’s head. Dream scrambles back. “Tommy, WE WERE FRIENDS!”

“Dream, you meant  _ nothing _ to me,” Tommy snarls at him.

For the first time, Dream looks at Tommy and feels nothing but fear.

“Stop, stop, stop,  _ stop!” _ he yells, frantically backing away from Tommy. There’s nowhere to go. The elevator isn’t down, the portal’s blocked, he can’t try and take Tubbo, he’s trapped, completely trapped-

“This is it.” Tommy hefts the axe in his hands, advancing on Dream. Dream trips, falling back on to his elbows. “The Axe of Peace.”

“Wait, WAIT!” Dream shouts. Tommy raises the axe. “Tommy- I CAN BRING PEOPLE BACK TO LIFE!”

Tommy hesitates, the axe still held high. “Why should I not kill you right now-”

“Wait, wait, just listen, just listen-”

“You just  _ lie-” _

“No no no no no just listen I’LL EXPLAIN I’LL EXPLAIN I’LL EXPLAIN!” Somewhere in the back of his mind, Dream knows that he’s babbling, knows that his voice is shrill with fear, knows that he’s weak. He doesn’t care, all that matters is survive, survive this moment right here right now- “Just listen! Just listen, just listen, just listen-”

Tommy’s face is conflicted. Dream can’t get the words out fast enough, the syllables blending together in his panic. “I, um, when I fought with Jschlatt-”

“You lie, YOU LIE TO ME!” Tommy shouts over him, lifting the axe even higher.

“I FOUGHT WITH JSCHLATT!” Dream starts pushing himself back with his elbows. “Jschlatt gave me a book, okay? And it has how to bring people back to life, but only I have the book! He died! He’s the only other person that knew! I have the book! He said if I fought on his side he’d give me the book-”

“Dream, you just lie!” yells Tommy.

“TOMMY IF I DIE THEN DEATH IS PERMANENT!”

“How do I know you’re not just lying?” Tommy’s voice shakes. “Why do you have any reason not to  _ lie?” _

He goes silent, mouthing things to himself. Dream nods frantically. “You have to let me go. Look, if I die-” He hesitates for a fraction of a second. “If I die, then Wilbur’s gone forever.”

That hits its mark. Tommy goes absolutely still, and Dream pushes on. “If I die, then everybody’s gone forever. If Tubbo dies, he’s dead forever. If  _ you _ die, you’re gone forever. But if I’m alive…”

The axe dips, and Tommy glances at Tubbo. “Tommy, you have to let me go,” Dream insists. “It’s not worth it! It’s not worth it, I’ll stop, I’ll stay out of your hair, I won’t try and- I won’t do anything, okay? I’ll be good. You can exile me, I’ll be away, I’ll be gone-”

“No.” Tommy shakes his head. “You’ll be back, you’ll-” His shoulders slump. “This is your last chance not to lie, Dream. Can you  _ really  _ bring people back- could you bring back Wilbur?”

Dream bobs his head up and down. “I could. I know how, I’m the only one that knows how. If I die, then he’s gone forever. Death will be permanent.”

Tommy’s voice cracks. “But are you even fucking worth it? You are the most toxic son of a bitch of all time-” Without warning, Tommy shuts his mouth. Then he turns and starts placing obsidian. “Get in the box, Dream,” he says flatly.

Dream’s eyes widen and he starts to protest. Tommy yells right over him. “GET IN THE BOX OR I WILL JUST KILL YOU!”

_ I have to survive. _

Dream hauls himself to his feet and gets in the box.

Tommy places one last block of obsidian, efficiently trapping Dream in place. He steps back, examining his handiwork. Tubbo comes up at his side, eyeing Dream warily. “I’m getting PTSD,” he murmurs, chuckling nervously. It gets a laugh out of Tommy, who ducks down and whispers something in Tubbo’s ear.

Dream’s  _ trapped. _ There’s no chance of breaking obsidian with his bare hands. His crossbow is still held loosely in Tommy’s hand, a bolt still loaded in it. Everyone else holds a weapon, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. The obsidian barely leaves Dream room to move. He can’t spread his arms, he can’t get away from Tommy, he can’t walk-

Both Tommy and Tubbo are watching him now. Dream’s mouth curls into a desperate snarl. He looks weak now. He has to appear strong. He has to appear threatening. But he can’t, he  _ can’t _ make himself a threat because then Tommy will kill him, and this time the death will be  _ permanent. _ No more respawning. He won’t wake up in the bed atop the cliff. Dream will  _ die. _

Tommy sighs. “Is it worth it, Tubbo, is it even worth it to keep him there? Is this even worth it, for him to stay alive? Dream- he’s fucking worse than death, he has ruined this, he will kill more people-”

“Tommy, YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO! You have to let me go, it’s not even a choice-” The words are desperate. Frantic. 

“I CAN’T LET YOU GO!” Tommy retorts. “I can’t let you go- I can’t let you roam again, you, Dream, are the reason why this server is bad. If this wasn’t the Dream SMP, everyone would have a brilliant time,  _ you _ are the reason why this server  _ sucks.” _

No- Dream’s fixing the server, he’s making it better- Tommy’s wrong- Dream’s doing what’s best for them, he’s the only one that knows what’s best for them-

If Tommy doesn’t let him go, he’ll kill Dream. Again. For the last time. Dream will die, and he won’t come back. 

“Tommy. There’s another way.”

All heads turn towards Sam. Desperate hope shoots through Dream. Sam. Sam is his ally. Dream had helped Sam, paid him, given him diamonds, given him resources to build any redstone creation he wants. Sam can get him out of here. Sam can keep Tommy from killing him. Sam can get Dream out.

“There’s another way,” Sam says slowly. “You don’t have to let him go free, you just can’t kill him. He has the book, we  _ can’t _ kill him… but you don’t have to let him go free.”

Sam’s eyes travel over Dream with no emotion. “We can put him in the prison.”

_ No. _

The prison is practically worse than death. It’s designed to be inescapable. There are layers upon layers of obsidian. Elder guardians swim underneath it, making it impossible to mine anything. There are traps, traps everywhere, traps designed to prevent anyone from getting out. The main cell is surrounded completely by lava. There isn’t even a chance to break the bed in hopes of dying and coming back at spawn. Sam is the only one who truly knows the intricacies of the redstone keeping the prison going. He’s the only one who can navigate it. No one can get in. No one can get out.

If Dream gets put in the prison, he might as well be dead. 

“I built the prison. I have access to it,” Sam continues. “He paid me to build it.”

“Yeah, but I know about the prison,” Dream objects. He has to get out of this. He has to be free,  _ completely _ free. “I know how it works, you can’t contain me in the prison.”

Sam studies him, his gaze cool. “You should know enough to know that it’s impossible to get out once you’re in. It’s  _ impossible _ to leave that prison once you’re locked away.” Sam turns to Tommy. “We can keep him there until we need to bring somebody back.”

No. Sam is supposed to be on his side. Sam is supposed to be with him, Sam is supposed to help him, Sam is supposed to help him escape- 

Tommy tilts his head, examining Dream. A slow grin spreads across his face, a grin that chills Dream to his very core. “Prison on your own fucking server.” Tommy laughs. “You stupid, green, son of a bitch.” He leans forward tauntingly. “You’re gonna suck it for the last time, green boy.”

Dream sucks in a breath through his teeth. Tommy turns away from him. “Let’s put him in the prison.”

No, no, no, no. Everyone’s cheering, agreeing, everyone’s against him, no one’s on his side. Even Sapnap is nodding. Even  _ Sapnap. _ Sapnap had been one of the first people Dream trusted on the server. Dream had driven him away, but it was for the best, it was all to better the server, surely Sapnap can’t actually be against him-

“Sam, let’s get him in the prison now!” Tommy claps his hands. “Show me how to get him in-”

“You can’t come,” Sam says flatly. “I will lock him in the prison. But I can’t show all the intricate workings of it. You could come visit him, Tommy, but not while I’m locking him away.”

What?

He can’t get anything from Sam. Sam’s voice gives away nothing, nothing about his intentions.

_ Is he helping me? _

_ Will he let me go? _

Sam could still be on his side.

Tommy nods quietly. Then he looks at Dream. “You’re done. You lost.

“You lost the war.”

Dream’s jaw clenches. He can’t do anything, he’s helpless, useless,  _ weak, _ he has no power, there’s nothing he can do, if he gets put in that prison he’ll never come out, this is it, he can’t get Tubbo, can’t escape, can’t regain control over Tommy, he doesn’t have  _ any control he’s lost all control- _

Dream slams his fist into the obsidian trapping him. Pain shoots through his arm and he punches the obsidian again and again. He’s  _ trapped. _ Blood is running down his forearm but he doesn’t care, he wants something,  _ someone _ , to hurt whether it’s him or someone else. He wants someone to suffer, suffer for what’s been done to him. They deserve to pay, they all deserve to pay. Not a single person in this room deserves to live. He’ll kill them all, he’ll kill everyone in this room until none of them have any lives yet, he’ll kill them and take Tommy and make him learn. Tommy needs to learn. He needs to learn because this is what happens to people who cross Dream. Dream will  _ kill them all. _

Tommy’s speaking. Dream punches harder, heedless of the blood and heedless of the pain. He’ll get out, he will, he will, he will. He has to. Dream refuses to be weak. He refuses to be powerless. He’ll escape, and he’ll come back stronger than ever. He has to. He’s  _ Dream. _ Dream doesn’t lose.

He feels a slight vibration in his pocket. Frantically, Dream yanks out the communicator. Technoblade. Technoblade can help him, Technoblade can get him out of here. This’ll be confirmation, confirmation that Technoblade’s coming to help, to fulfill his favor-

**cant im busy**

Dream shouts and flings the communicator at the ground. He crushes it with his heel, relishing the screech of metal against obsidian. Technoblade owes him. Technoblade  _ owes _ him, he can’t abandon Dream, not when Dream called in his favor. When Dream gets out, he is going to  _ kill Technoblade, teach him a lesson. _

Everyone will learn.

Someone’s saying his name. Dream whips around with a snarl. Tommy stares at him, grip on the crossbow tightening. “You know what, you’ve lost everything. Tell them. Tell them what you did. Tell them.”

He can’t do anything. Tommy has the control.

No one is coming to help him.

Dream has nothing. 

He’s lost.

Slowly, slowly the fight seeps out of him, draining the rage and fear. It’s useless. “I blew up the community house.” The words are dull. Meaningless.

“What else?” Tommy raises the crossbow. “Tell them everything, Dream, or I’ll kill you. I could deal with you not here. We all could. Tell them what you did, Dream!”

Dream shrugs hopelessly. “What do you want me to say?” There’s nothing else  _ to _ say. Everyone’s already against him, they don’t need more reasons to wish him dead.

He can see Tommy shaking with rage as Tommy yells, “Everything, tell them  _ everything _ I know, tell them EVERYTHING YOU DID that was  _ manipulative _ and  _ fucked up! _ NO ONE EVEN KNOWS WHAT I WENT THROUGH IN EXILE! Tell them, Dream, tell them! Tell them  _ all.” _

Dream keeps his mouth shut.

Tommy glares at him and whirls back to face the crowd. “Fine,  _ I’ll _ tell you what he did!”

Dream listens silently as Tommy talks. Talks about everything that Dream’s done. He blames it on Dream, blames everything bad that’s happened on Dream. He doesn’t see. Tommy doesn’t see the irony in this.  _ Nothing _ that’s happened was Dream’s fault. The server had been fine, peaceful until Tommy joined. Tommy joined, bringing his friends, bringing his problems, starting wars and rebelling against Dream.

It can all be traced back to Tommy. But Tommy keeps blaming Dream. 

He keeps listening. And Tommy keeps talking. He tells them about Dream’s collection. The last bit of control Dream had. They move out of Dream’s eyeline, but he can hear them talking, exclaiming over the items. 

If he had any remnants of control, they’re gone now. 

They’re coming back now. Talking, laughing, cheering, talking about putting him in the prison. They’re coming back to take him and put him in the prison. They’ll put him the prison, and he’ll never be able to get out. Not without help. Help that isn’t coming. 

Tommy steps in front of him, looking him dead in the eyes. “Have fun in jail.”

Dream snarls and lunges for him. Immediately the sharp prongs of a trident dig into his ribs, and he stops in his tracks. Tommy snorts. “Don’t do that. I’ll just kill you. I’ll kill you with your own bow.” 

Sam moves forward, flanked by Sapnap and Punz. “We’ll take him from here,” he says calmly. Tommy nods, and steps out of Sam’s way.

Surely Sam’s on his side. Dream searches his face for something, anything that might indicate that he’s on Dream’s side. But there’s nothing. 

Sam beckons him forward. “Come on.”

Dream walks towards him without protest, hyper-aware of the abundance of weapons around him. It’s not worth putting up a fight. Not now, not while his life is at stake. Sam takes him by the elbow, and Dream instinctively jerks away from the contact. Sam’s grip remains firm. There’s a hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards the elevator. 

_ I lost. _

_ I lost, I lost, I lost, I LOST- _

The elevator shudders to life. As it starts inching upwards, Dream turns back to look at Tommy.

Tommy stares back at him, unblinking. Challenging him. 

Gone is the Tommy that cowered whenever Dream spoke. This is the old Tommy. The Tommy that had fought for L’manberg. The Tommy that had lost the duel but kept fighting anyways. The Tommy that has stubbornly fought against Dream time and time again. 

Dream doesn’t realize he’d been moving towards the edge of the elevator until Punz’s sword stops him. “Hey. Don’t do that,” Punz says sharply. 

Slowly, Dream steps back from the edge, watching Tommy disappear below. The last person he had control over. 

Dream lost.

**Author's Note:**

> i thought this was such an interesting scene, from any perspective really
> 
> buuuuuuut dream's perspective was more fun lol
> 
> so here ya are


End file.
